


Family In More Ways Than One

by obs3ss1ons



Category: Station 19 (TV)
Genre: Blossoming relationship, F/M, Gen, Secret Relationship, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 09:23:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17864729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obs3ss1ons/pseuds/obs3ss1ons
Summary: Chief Ripley has to step in as Interim Captain of Station 19 while Captain Sullivan recovers from the aid car accident.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story dragged me through the mud. It took way longer than expected to finish it, but here it is. There is some light (very light) angst, some humor, emotional moments, and sex. Lots and lots of Vicley sex. Enjoy!

The storm was bad. The aftermath was worse. Lucas stayed with 19 until it was safe to venture outside. Then he left to check on the other stations. Most had been able to hunker down within the walls of their respective stations, but a few crews were stuck either at hospitals or on calls.

He was so busy getting the department back up and running that he was surprised to get a call from Hughes. They were both working. They'd already spent most of a shift together. And she knew he was busy being the Chief. So he answered, “Please tell me you're safe.”

“I am,” she replied. Her voice was emotional, like she was crying.

“What's wrong?”

Hughes sniffled before she said, “Nineteen's aid car went off the road into a ravine.”

Lucas nearly dropped his phone. He pulled into a nearby parking lot so he wouldn't hit somebody. “Sullivan? Herrera?”

“On the way to Grey Sloan. Their patient didn't make it. They're both unconscious. We found the car on its side,” Hughes informed him.

“I'll meet you there. Is your whole team with you?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks for calling me,” he said quickly and hung up. He flipped his lights and sirens on as he sped out of the parking lot toward the hospital. Any of his firefighters being injured caused him to worry. But he clearly had a soft spot for 19. Sullivan had been his best friend since the Academy. Herrera reminded him a lot of himself – ambitious, driven, loyal to a fault.

Despite road closures and debris, Lucas made it to Grey Sloan in record time. He raced into the ER and immediately found the team. Hughes and Bishop huddled together in a couple of chairs. Captain Herrera stood off to the side with the cop – Tanner – and his dad. Montgomery sat with his head in his hands. Miller stood at the desk, talking to a nurse. Gibson leaned against a wall, looking like he was half asleep. Warren was nowhere to be seen.

Lucas cleared his throat to announce his presence. They all looked at him, Montgomery even standing up. Avoiding letting himself glance toward Hughes, Lucas asked, “Any word?”

Herrera replied, “They're both in surgery. Nothing from the doctors yet. Warren went to check.”

It was at that moment that Warren arrived with a female doctor. She spoke up, “They both made it through surgery. Andy had a brain bleed we were able to stop. She has a fractured arm and a bruised kidney, so we'll be watching her closely for a few days.”

The group as a whole sighed. Lucas asked, “And Sully?”

“I'm assuming you mean Sullivan,” the doctor said. At his nod, she told them, “He has a skull fracture that we're monitoring. We also had to remove his spleen and repair some damage to that area. He's heavily sedated, but stable, and should pull through barring any complications.”

“Thank you, Meredith,” Warren told her. She gave him a brief, tight smile and walked away. Lucas ran a hand through his hair and paced away from the others. They were both okay, at least for now. But without complications 19 would be out a captain and a lieutenant for at least six weeks. Again.

He turned back to watch the team. They didn't seem to be quite as scared now. Their family was alive. He let his gaze find Hughes. She and Bishop had their arms around each other with Montgomery's around them both. Lucas smiled at the picture.

“Chief, a word?” Herrera asked from beside him. Lucas nodded, and they walked a short distance down a hallway. The Captain started, “From all my years of experience, I know being down a captain means a lieutenant usually steps up. I have some reservations about Gibson running the place, however.”

Lucas frowned. Captain Herrera had shared his unwillingness to support either his daughter or Gibson being promoted to captain before. But this would only be temporary until Sully could return to duty. “It is protocol, yes. With Herrera also out and Bishop not officially promoted yet, it falls to Gibson. Tell me why it shouldn't be him.”

“He's suffering from PTSD,” Herrera said. Lucas wished he could say he was surprised to hear that. “I think it's from the skyscraper. He's edgy, not sleeping. Irritable. Full of energy he can't seem to burn off.”

“Damn,” Lucas let slip. “Do you think it's affecting his job?”

Herrera pointed over his shoulder. “We had to wake him up to go look for Andy and Sullivan. He was the first on the truck. He climbed down to the aid car without being harnessed.”

Lucas swore again, glad the captain was the only one around to hear it. He was going to have to pull another man out of 19 when they were already down by two. Someone suffering from PTSD and acting that way was not safe on the job. For anyone. So Lucas would have to figure out a way to keep 19 going with no captain or lieutenants. While also taking care of the other stations under his command.

After being able to check in on both Herrera and Sully, Lucas left the hospital. He wanted to go home and let his mind rest for a few hours, but he couldn't. There wasn't enough time for him to relax. So he went to his office and began trying to sort out all of the problems the storm had caused for the department. Thankfully only a handful of vehicles had been damaged, so they wouldn't totally blow the year's budget. Only two rigs needed to be replaced – 19’s aid car and a truck from Station 12. Everything else was minor.

Seven firefighters sustained injuries requiring hospitalization, but no deaths. Unfortunately multiple patients had perished due to accidents, debris, or lost time. Lucas could only hope the board could come up with a way to respectfully keep the families from blaming the SFD for their loved ones' deaths. He knew firsthand how angry people could be when they lose someone close to them.

The sun was beginning to rise when Lucas finally let himself think about the predicaments at Station 19. He'd kept them out of service for the rest of shift. But A shift technically started in a few hours. Someone could get the truck window replaced by then. That would give them partial service at least. Other stations would have to pick up aid car service for them until theirs could be replaced.

Vehicles for 19 were taken care of, so Lucas moved to the staffing situation. Not having an aid car meant he wouldn't need to bring someone from a different shift just yet. He sent an email to Gibson and an HR representative for a meeting about the Lieutenant's PTSD. That was not going to be a fun conversation. He could only hope that Gibson would be receptive and get the help he needed so that he could return to work.

That left no ranking firefighter with the station, though. He could have Bishop step up to lieutenant unofficially until her promotion went through. But she wasn't ready to run a station just yet. Lucas pulled up some files on his computer. The Battalion Chief over 19’s area was Frankel. She had already proven her dislike of the people at that particular station. Plus she was covering for the captain of 21 who was out on his honeymoon for two weeks.

Lucas did not like what option he was left with. It would be messy and awkward and push him to his limits. Temptation was not going to be his friend. But he could not find another choice that would keep 19 open for the foreseeable future. He just hoped that Sully healed and returned to duty fast. He was only human, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Vic had just finished pinning her hair up when her doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock. Shift started soon. It was still early. Nobody she knew would ring her doorbell at that time. Except…but no. He was doing Chief things.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she finished tucking in her uniform top on her way to the front door. She opened it to find Ripley, in his uniform, staring at her. He wasn't smiling. Vic’s anxiety rose. “Did something happen? Is it Andy? Or Sullivan?”

Confusion crossed his face, but then he shook his head. “They're both doing well. I just checked on them.”

“Then why…?” she let the question hang.

“I need to tell you something.”

Vic opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter her apartment. “My shift starts in half an hour.”

“I know,” he responded. Vic closed her eyes in embarrassment. Of course he knew what time shifts started. She opened her eyes again to find him giving her an unreadable look.

She asked, “What do you need to tell me? I assume it's not about work since you didn't wait until I was at the station.”

He sighed. “Actually, it is about work. And us.”

“Uh, okay…”

“I have to be interim captain for 19 until Sullivan returns to duty,” he said so fast she could barely keep up.

But she definitely heard him. “Why does it have to be you?”

Ripley placed his hands on his hips. “I have no other options. I had to pull Gibson off duty until he gets himself under control.”

Vic ignored the privacy violation she'd just witnessed and instead asked, “What about someone from another station? Or even Frankel?”

“There is no one else. And Frankel is already interim at another station,” he explained. “Look, I know how difficult and awkward this is going to be. That's why I'm warning you before shift starts.”

She started shaking her head and pacing back and forth in front of him. “No. I can't do this. One shift was bad enough. Look what happened yesterday. If you're around all the time. On all of our calls. No. Nope. You need to find a different solution.”

“I spent two hours trying to do just that,” Ripley told her. Vic stopped pacing to stare at him. He stared back. “I'll try to minimize us working closely as much as possible. It will take a week to get a new aid car, so all we will have are the two trucks. I'll make sure we don't ride in the same one.”

“And when we're not on scene? When everybody is hanging around the station, looking for something to do?” she asked.

He broke eye contact as he said, “I have so much paperwork to get done after the storm that I'll be locked up in the office most of the time. You'll be free to go wherever you want or need to go without me showing up.”

“What about meals?”

“I'll take them in the office if you need or want me to,” he stated. “Look, I will do whatever I need to do to keep you from being uncomfortable in your own station. This is only temporary.”

Vic sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. There was no way for her to avoid Ripley being at the station every shift until Sullivan came back. So she would have to avoid him as much as possible. Do extra chores. Go out on as many calls as possible.

“We should both get going. Are we okay, though?” he inquired.

Their eyes met. Vic said, “I'm not sure. I guess we have to be.”

“I'm so sorry. I wish there was another option.”

She shrugged. “It's fine. This was bound to happen at some point. A few weeks of awkwardness is a small consequence for sleeping with the boss.”

His hand reached out, but she moved farther away. He let his hand drop. “We'll talk about that later. I have to run by my office before I head to 19.”

“Yeah, we probably shouldn't show up at the same time, anyway,” Vic mumbled. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he turned and opened the door instead. Once he was gone, Vic went back to her bedroom. She hurried to finish getting ready while her mind reeled.

This was a disaster. There was no way she could hide her attraction to Ripley for a minimum of six weeks. Someone would notice. Travis or Maya would notice. At least Gibson wouldn't be there to make things even more awkward. And while she hoped Andy healed fast, Vic was relieved she wouldn't witness more suspicious behavior between them.

Because it would happen. One of them would slip up like she'd done in the truck with Maya. They would share a look, or suggestive words, or an accidental caress. And one of her team would see it because that was just her luck. It was also her luck that they all knew she couldn't keep a secret. If one of them got suspicious and pressed her about it…

Vic had never dreaded a shift more. She walked into the station two minutes late. Thankfully knowing what was coming had zapped her appetite. She could hide in the bunk room until Ripley showed up. At least that was the plan until Warren walked into the room.

“Why are you hiding in here? Miller made breakfast this morning.”

“I'm not hungry,” Vic replied.

Unfortunately Warren's history as a doctor meant he wouldn't let that go. “I bet you haven't eaten since our Friendsgiving meal yesterday, have you? Your body needs to refuel, especially after rescuing Andy and Sullivan.”

Vic shook her head and told him, “I'm fine. I'm just not hungry this morning. I'll eat something later.”

The look he offered told her he didn't believe her, but he didn't comment further. Then Maya poked her head into the room and said, “Ripley's here and needs us all in the bay.”

Warren followed Maya out. Vic hesitated. She sang her song to calm her racing heart. She could do this. It was only for a few weeks. Then Andy and Sullivan would return, and everything would go back to normal again. Except for the fact that Vic had slept with the Chief. She went through the song one more time before forcing herself to join her team.

Of course she was the last one. The others stood in a group, talking candidly with Ripley. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and Vic fought the urge to turn around and hide the rest of the day. Because that would definitely prove to everyone that something was going on with her. Something she didn't want them to know.

“Now that I have everyone here, I have a couple of announcements,” Ripley started. “First, I'm sure you noticed Gibson's absence. He will be taking some time off to deal with a personal issue. Second, both Sullivan and Herrera are showing improvement. However, they will be out for at least six weeks.”

“Where does that leave us, Sir? With both lieutenants and the captain gone,” Warren asked before anyone else could.

Ripley glanced around the group before responding, “That's my final two announcements. I will be stepping in to run the place until Sullivan returns. I have also unofficially promoted Bishop to Lieutenant here at 19 until Herrera or Gibson can come back.”

Vic joined in on congratulating Maya. She could feel Ripley's eyes watching her but refused to look his way. Still, she knew the moment he left the room. And she let herself relax. The only hope she had to survive the next few weeks was if Ripley kept his word and stayed in the office. And if she could keep herself from joining him.


	3. Chapter 3

The first shift at 19 went about as smooth as it could get. They stayed out for most of it, helping with cleanup. Lucas did his best to treat Hughes the same as everyone else and not stare at her for too long. If the team needed to be split up, he sent her with the group that didn't stay with him. If they were in a situation where they had to work together, he made sure they weren't alone and kept the conversation minimal.

It was hard as hell to make it work, but he did it. He'd promised her that he would make working together as easy as possible. And he intended to keep that promise as long as he could. Even if it made him uncomfortable. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from noticing her. As she worked to help untangle power lines from trees. When she consoled a toddler while the others extracted his mom from her wrecked car.

And damn if it didn't turn him on.

So by the time the sun set, halting the cleanup progress for the night, Lucas was glad he was able to hide in the captain's quarters. He wasn't fit to be around anyone, especially as the boss. Definitely not the people closest to the one who caused his discomfort.

Unfortunately a shower did nothing to alleviate his frustration. So he decided to try burying himself in paperwork. There was plenty of it to focus his mind on. He filled out reports from that day first while it was still fresh in his mind. It helped that he knew the rest of his paperwork wouldn't include Hughes. He was in trouble if just writing her name brought up memories he shouldn't be having at work.

Lucas was finishing up a budget report for damage to Station 23’s house when someone knocked on the office door. He absently called out for the person to enter as he signed his name. Then he looked up to see Hughes holding out a plate of food. His stomach growled.

“You missed dinner, and we all figured you might be hungry. I know I was after all that work today,” she said, setting the plate on the desk. If only she knew what that simple statement did to him.

He didn't have to force a smile. “Thanks for thinking of me.”

Just as he took a bite of the chicken, Hughes mumbled, “That's all I've been doing.”

The food tried to go into his lungs instead of his stomach. Lucas coughed until it went where it was supposed to. He looked up at Hughes, who looked more amused than apologetic. He shook his head. “You're playing with fire there.”

“Well, I am a firefighter.”

Lucas groaned and dropped the fork. He wouldn't be eating anything from that plate as long as she was in the room. Which reminded him – “I thought we were supposed to be avoiding each other while at work.”

She shrugged. “Everyone else is getting settled for the night. I thought maybe you could use some company.”

“I'll always appreciate a visit from you,” he admitted before he could stop himself.

Her smile lit up her entire face. She moved to sit down in one of the chairs. It was then that Lucas noticed she had closed the door. He almost asked if it was locked, but then decided it was better to assume it wasn't. They were supposed to be resisting temptation, not creating it.

Lucas watched her. She was clearly thinking about something. Her brow furrowed, and she chewed on her bottom lip. It was so adorable it made him want to kiss her, maybe nibble on that lip himself. He had a feeling she would let him. But they were at work, which meant he needed to restrain himself and the impulses she brought out in him.

He shifted in his chair, noticing the sparkle in her eyes when she realized why. She asked quietly, “Can we still see each other outside of work while you're my captain?”

“Technically we shouldn't,” he replied, not at all surprised by the huskiness in his voice.

“What the department doesn't know won't hurt them, though. Right?”

The desire in her eyes almost convinced him to take advantage of not sharing a room with her teammates. He stared into her eyes as he said, “I don't think we'll make it through the next however many weeks without seeing each other outside of work. You know what watching you work does to me.”

She laughed. Then she stood up and pointed to the plate of food. “Enjoy your dinner. I'm going to bed. We can continue this conversation at my place after shift.”

“Yes, Ma'am,” Lucas chuckled. He watched Hughes leave the room, glad she was nice enough to close the door. A check of the clock told him ten hours remained before shift ended. Hopefully he could sleep during most of that, barring any calls. Then he could meet Hughes at her apartment. They would have the whole day unless she had plans already. And if he stood a chance of making it until Sullivan returned without taking advantage of her, he would need as much time with her outside the station as he could get.

Lucas stared at the plate of food. It had been so thoughtful of her to bring him dinner. He didn't believe it came from the whole team, though he knew they worried about their family. Or maybe he just hoped that she did it so she had an excuse to see him. Alone. With little chance of being interrupted by her team. And he let her leave the room.

He snatched his phone from the desk and found her contact. Before he could talk himself out of it, he sent her a text. “Hope you get more rest than I will tonight.”

Before he could put the phone down again, she sent back, “Paperwork can wait until next shift. Get some sleep.”

A smile touched his lips. There she went bossing him around again. He responded, “It's not the paperwork keeping me awake. It's the anticipation of what will happen once the shift is over.”

Her reply came a little slower this time. “Now who's playing with fire?”

Laughter escaped before he could stop it. He texted, “I am the Fire Chief.”

He was still waiting for a reply and wondering if he pushed too far when his office door opened. Hughes slipped into the room, shut the door again, and rushed toward him. Before he could react to her sudden appearance, her lips pressed against his. She placed her hands against the sides of his face and nipped at his lips. Lucas couldn't keep from opening up to her, kissing her back.

She pulled away before he was ready. Their eyes met. Lucas kissed her briefly once more. Then he smiled at her. She moved away from him, out of his reach, against the door. Her hand went behind her. “Now maybe we can both get some sleep. We'll need it.”

Then she was gone. Lucas stared after her. She hadn't even shut the door behind her this time. And he wasn't sure he could walk over to close it himself. She had literally just turned him on and then left. Twice. Thoughts of how he could make her pay for that were going to keep him up all night. The end of shift couldn't come fast enough.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated explicit.

“Hey, Vic, you want to grab some breakfast with Grant and me?” Travis asked as the team walked out of the station.

Vic caught Ripley watching her in her peripheral vision, but forced herself not to look at him. She looked at Travis instead and responded, “Uh, no, sorry. Maybe another time.”

Travis grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking. “What are you not telling me?”

She shook her head, letting her gaze wander toward the group moving away from them. “Nothing. I gotta go.”

Jerking her arm from his grasp, Vic hurried to her car. She locked her doors so Travis couldn't corner her again. Then she sucked in air and breathed it out slowly. She needed to stay calm. If Travis got suspicious, he wouldn't leave her alone until she told him something. Which he knew would not take long given her track record with secrets.

A tap on her window startled her. Vic glanced over to see Ripley bent over next to her car. She rolled the window down, and he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yep. Just fine,” she replied.

He checked his surroundings before asking quietly, “Am I still going to your place?”

“You better show up. I just turned down breakfast for you.”

Ripley laughed. “I'll make it up to you. See you in about fifteen minutes.”

“I'll be waiting,” she told him. He stepped back, and Vic reversed out of her parking spot. She purposely did not look in her rearview mirror as she drove away from the station. He would show up. She knew that without a doubt. She'd seen the need in his eyes the night before. When she'd gone back and kissed him, she was pretty sure he would've taken her into the captain's bunkroom if she hadn't stopped when she did. So yeah, he was definitely going to show up.

And he did. Vic only had time to slip her shoes and socks off before her doorbell rang. She swallowed the giggle that threatened to erupt as she opened the door and greeted Ripley with a shy, “Hi.”

Rather than saying something back, he moved into the apartment and grabbed the sides of her head. His mouth attacked hers as he kicked the door shut behind him. Vic opened her mouth, letting him in. His hands slid down her arms to her thighs, effortlessly lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her desire flaring when she felt how much he wanted her.

He moved toward the sofa. Vic fit onto his lap when he sat down. Her fingers moved from his hair down the sides of his neck before pushing his jacket off his shoulders. Then they met at his throat and began unbuttoning his shirt. Ripley's hands untucked her shirt and slid across her back, underneath the material. His lips left hers and journeyed down her neck and then along the collar of her uniform.

Vic moaned. She finished with the last button on his shirt and shoved it off. Then she pulled his undershirt over his head. Her hand caressed his beautiful chest while he began working on the buttons of her shirt. Once he had it open, Vic leaned forward and gently nipped at the skin surrounding one of his nipples. He hissed in pleasure, his hands halting their work. Vic did it again, earning a moan this time.

She quickly slipped out of her uniform top and the tank top she wore underneath it. Ripley's lips immediately went to the skin showing just above her bra. When his mouth closed over the material covering one of her nipples, she responded by pressing against the back of his head and simultaneously rolling her hips forward. He lifted his head and met her gaze. His pupils were so dilated his eyes appeared black. His voice was rough when he said, “I need to be inside you.”

Pushing herself off his lap, Vic stood and slid off the rest of her clothes. At the same time, Ripley lifted his hips and finished undressing himself. Vic climbed back over him. She placed one hand on his shoulder and grasped his hardness with the other. Staring into his eyes, she slowly lowered herself until he was barely inside her. Then she grabbed the sides of his head and kissed him as she slid the rest of the way down, not stopping until he was fully inside her.

He moaned into her mouth. His hands touched her hips, squeezing her ass. Vic rolled her hips once, twice. Ripley tore his lips from hers. “I'm not going to last long.”

Vic smiled and started moving her hips at a leisurely pace. “Neither am I.”

“But we've got all day, right?” he asked and then placed kisses along the side of her neck.

“Mmm. And all night,” she added. Ripley made a sound Vic never thought he could make. He growled – a deep, throaty growl. Then his hips lifted to meet hers, and his hands urged her hips to move faster. Vic gave in. They could go slow later, once the tension had eased. Right now, she just needed the release she knew Ripley could deliver.

She got it minutes later. His hand slipped between them, his thumb brushing against the bundle of nerves right above where their bodies met. And that's all it took for her world to explode. Her head fell back as her whole body seemed to shake with the strength of her orgasm. She gasped for air. Almost distantly, she felt and heard Ripley reach his own climax as his hips jerked against her. His hands tightened almost painfully on her ass. He let out a moan so low it was nearly a growl.

When Vic came to her senses, Ripley had his head pressed back against the sofa and his eyes closed. She kissed him softly, unsurprised it took a few seconds for him to respond. They kissed for several minutes until her stomach made a gurgling noise. Vic pulled back. Ripley smiled up at her. “Why don't we get cleaned up, and I'll make you something to eat?”

“You did promise me breakfast,” she reminded him.

“Yes, I did.” He kissed her again briefly before guiding her off his lap. Ripley went into the bathroom first. He came back out and asked, “Do you have the stuff to make pancakes?”

She waved a hand toward the kitchen. “I have no idea. You'll have to search. It's been a while since I went grocery shopping.”

“I'll see what I can find,” he told her with a quick kiss on the cheek. Then he went toward the kitchen, and Vic went into the bathroom. After she was done cleaning herself up, she stared at her reflection. Her skin was still flushed. Faint red marks surrounded her nipples, left there by Ripley's teeth.

She knew she should feel some guilt or shame over what they had just done. Over what they'd now done three separate times. He was her boss, after all. At the moment, he was her direct boss. But Vic couldn't find it in herself to feel anything but happy. Satisfied. Because, yeah, the sex was just that good. The buildup over the last twenty-four hours had definitely helped.

Vic stopped to put a t-shirt on before heading for the kitchen. What she found made her mouth water. Ripley had put his underwear back on but nothing else. He stood at her stove, cooking something that smelled oddly delicious. She approached him and said, “I might have to invite you over again just so I can get this picture.”

He chuckled and placed what looked like a slice of bread on a plate. “You didn't have the ingredients for pancakes, but I found the stuff to make a version of French toast.”

“Hmm, I've never had it. It looks and smells amazing, though,” she told him as she hopped up to sit on the counter. He glanced toward her and then back at the food in the pan. Then he looked back at her – specifically her bare thighs.

“Please tell me you have something on under that shirt,” he managed as he put food on another plate.

Vic shrugged. “Feed me and I might let you find out.”

Ripley didn't hesitate. But he didn't just give her one of the plates. No, he actually put the food in her mouth. And he continued to do so until it was all gone, taking bites in between of his own. Why the hell was that turning her on? Vic didn't know, but it did. And of course he noticed.

He set the fork down and moved between her legs. His lips captured hers. She lifted her hands to his head, snaking her fingers into his silky hair. He placed his hands on her thighs, sliding them up under her shirt. Vic knew the moment he realized she had nothing else on. His kiss became more passionate. His hands spread her legs wider.

Then the fingers of one of his hands touched her where she needed him most. He circled her with a fingertip before thrusting two inside. Vic gasped and clenched his hips with her thighs. Ripley twisted his hand and pressed his thumb against her bundle of nerves. The force of her orgasm took Vic by surprise. He'd barely touched her, and yet she was so worked up that's all she needed.

His lips eased up as she came back down. He removed his fingers from her body and rested his hand on the counter beside her. Vic broke away from him to offer an appreciative smile. “You really know how to make a girl happy, Chief.”

Ripley lowered his head a moment before looking up into her eyes. “You know you don't have to call me that when we're not at work.”

“What would you prefer me to call you?” she asked, absently trailing her fingertips up and down his back.

“You can call me by my name.”

“Ripley?”

He shook his head. “My first name. Lucas.”

Her fingers stopped moving. This was a big deal. But then, he had just given her an orgasm using only his hand. She smiled. “Then you should call me Vic. When we're not at work, that is.”


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas and Vic settled into an almost routine over the next two weeks. They tried to avoid each other during the day. One of them always texted the other when everyone started going to bed. And Lucas went to her apartment after every shift to help reduce the stress of hiding their blossoming relationship from the team.

They didn't spend all of their time together, though. He had other duties to attend to with other stations. She went out with Bishop or Montgomery. Through her Lucas learned that Herrera was released from the hospital after only a week. He made up an excuse about a long list of Chief things to do so Vic wouldn't feel guilty about spending a day with her injured friend.

The new aid car arrived. Rather than pulling men from other shifts, Lucas decided to keep 19 at a reduced service. He split the team up with two per rig, rotating who he rode with each time. The day he scheduled himself to ride with Vic, he couldn't decide if he wanted a busy day where they could be alone a lot or a quiet day where he wouldn't be tempted.

It ended up being neither. Not even a full hour into shift, two hours after waking up next to Vic, Lucas found himself alone in a truck with her on the way to a structural fire. He busied himself getting as much information about the building as he could while Vic drove. It was a two-story house with an attached garage. The fire started in the attic above the garage and spread quickly. When they reached the location, smoke and flames shot out from the roof.

He glanced toward Vic as she stopped the truck. She offered a smile and covered the mic on her headset. “You ready for this?”

Lucas covered his mic and said, “Be careful.”

“Always,” she replied. Then she uncovered her mic and opened her door. “Let's do this.”

Lucas assessed the scene and directed the team where to go. He barely flinched when he realized he forced himself to send Vic into the building. She was a damn good firefighter. She wasn't alone. She knew what she was doing. And he needed to be in command of the whole situation. He couldn't worry about her and focus on being the Chief.

But then everything blew up – quite literally. Something in the house exploded, feeding the fire. Lucas radioed for a check from Vic and Miller, who were the ones he sent in to look for victims. Relief flooded his whole body at first when Vic answered, “We're good. We're just, uh, a little bit trapped.”

“Where?” he asked, somehow managing to keep his fear out of his voice.

Miller responded, “Back bedroom, second floor. The stairs collapsed.”

Vic added, “We have a pocket of air in here, but the fire's at the door.”

“Hang tight. We'll get to you as soon as we can,” Lucas told them. He sent Bishop and Montgomery to the back of the house with a hose. He and Warren continued blasting the front. At least there were no civilians inside to worry about. Lucas could focus on getting the fire out and saving the two firefighters who knew how to keep calm while they waited.

After what seemed like hours, the fire was contained. Lucas switched with Montgomery, and he and Bishop worked on rescuing the two inside. The only way to reach them had to be through the window with the stairs gone. So he instructed Bishop to move the ladder truck as close as she could get it. Unfortunately even with the ladder fully extended, there was a significant gap.

Bishop stepped up next to him and asked, “What if one of us climb up to help bridge the gap? They'll still have to jump, but we can catch them.”

Lucas studied the distance from the ladder to the window. It would be risky. Especially with Miller's bulky frame. But he didn't see another option. He nodded to Bishop and said, “Let's try it. Get the mats just in case. As soon as the fire threat is low enough, we'll get our people out.”

“Copy that,” Bishop responded and hurried off. Lucas radioed the plan to Vic and Miller, then asked for an update on their condition.

Vic answered, “All good in here. Just hot.”

Lucas ignored the hidden meaning he found in her statement. He wasn't even sure she meant it. But before he could dwell on it, Warren announced over the radio that the fire was out. Lucas jumped into action. Bishop and Montgomery set up the mats while Lucas climbed the ladder. He reached the end and braced his legs for support. Then he said over the radio, “All right, open the window. Hughes, come out first.”

The window slid up, and Vic's head popped out. She smiled. “Hi, Chief!”

He fought the urge to laugh. Of course she would be upbeat while stuck in a house on fire. He held out his arms. “Climb onto the windowsill. You'll have to launch yourself towards me.”

His heart was in his throat as he watched Vic climb to the outside and balance herself in the open window. Their gazes locked, and he counted to three. She pushed away from the house, her arms reached out towards his. He caught her just above her wrists and used her momentum to help pull her onto the ladder. Her smile lit up again. “You caught me.”

“Of course I did,” he said without thinking. Then he mentally shook himself and nodded toward the ground. “Go get checked out and some fresh oxygen.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said and began descending the ladder. He watched until she reached the ground.

Then he turned back to the window. “Okay, Miller. Your turn.”

Miller stuck his head out and said, “I weigh twice as much as her. There's no way you can catch me.”

“It's either this or you fall to the mat. You know that hurts,” Lucas informed him. Miller looked down where Bishop and Montgomery stood, watching and waiting to help. He looked back at Lucas and shook his head.

“You better catch me, man.”

“I'll do my best. Trust me,” Lucas promised. He braced himself again while Miller managed to get himself through the window. He still seemed hesitant, so Lucas said, “Take your time. The fire's out, and the structure is intact. I'm ready when you are.”

Miller nodded. He let out several quick breaths and then said, “Okay. I'm ready.”

Lucas counted to three and stretched out his arms. Miller jumped and nearly made it all the way to the ladder. Lucas had to adjust his position quickly and was only able to grab one of Miller's arms. “Grab onto me so I can pull you up.”

He did. The ladder bounced a bit, and Lucas felt his boots slide against the sides. Then two hands grabbed his legs. He didn't look back to see who it was but concentrated on pulling Miller up. His arms felt like they were about to give in when Miller reached a place where he could grab onto the ladder. Lucas and the person behind him scrambled back so Miller could climb onto the top.

“Well, I hope I never have to do that again,” Miller stated.

“You were fine,” Bishop said from behind Lucas.  
He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Thanks for the help, Bishop. Way to anticipate a need.”

“Thank you, both of you,” Miller told them. “But can we get off of this ladder now?”

Bishop laughed but started climbing down. Lucas followed her and then watched Miller make his way to the ground. All three plus Montgomery headed around to the front of the house where the aid car waited. Miller dutifully sat on the end and accepted the oxygen mask from Hughes.

Lucas asked, “Aren't you supposed to be getting checked out, too, Hughes?”

“I'm fine,” she stated.

He looked to Warren. The rookie added, “Oh, yeah, she's good. So is Miller.”

“Then let's get things wrapped up here and head back to the station,” Lucas ordered. They all finished up what they needed to do to close out the scene. And finally Lucas let himself relax once he was in the passenger seat of the truck. Then he remembered who was driving. He rolled his head against the seat to look at her. “Do I need to have someone else drive?”

Vic shook her head. “Nope. I'm good. Warren even said so.”

“You just jumped out of a second story window after being trapped in a burning building,” he needlessly pointed out.

The look she gave him was of understanding. Her voice was soft and gentle when she replied, “But you caught me.”

He didn't respond to that. They had their coms on, after all. Lucas would have to wait until the next morning to tell her about the fear he'd felt at the possibility of not catching her. About his heart trying to jump out of his chest when she jumped from the windowsill. Okay, maybe he wouldn't admit that just yet. It made it sound like he had deeper feelings for her than he did. They were just having some fun outside of work. She was attractive and adorable and easy to like. He wasn't ready for her to mean anything more to him than that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is explicit. It also has some language.

Something was different. Lucas came over after shift like usual. He brought breakfast since a long call meant they missed dinner the night before. Then after that hunger was satisfied, they headed to the bedroom to ease the hunger they had for each other. But his touch was different. He was hesitant with his caresses, more than he had the first time. It was still amazing, and Vic enjoyed it. Yet she had to wonder if Lucas still did.

She waited until they’d both caught their breath to say anything. He was on his back, holding her against his side. Vic rested her head on his chest with one hand over his heart. She lifted her head so she could see his face and asked, “Is something wrong?”

Lucas shook his head, but he didn’t look at her. “No, why?”

“You didn’t seem as into it this time,” she responded. He unwrapped his arm from around her and sat up. His legs swung off the side of the bed so that his back was to her. Vic pulled the comforter over herself, suddenly feeling vulnerable. She spoke barely above a whisper. “Do you want or need to leave?”

He did look at her then, his body twisted around so he could. “No. I want to be right here, with you. If I didn’t, I would’ve never come over.”

That gave her some bravado. Vic sat up but kept the blanket over herself. “Then what is it?”

Lucas sighed. He turned back around and lowered his head. “I was scared yesterday for the first time since the skyscraper. At that first call. The fire was out, but you were trapped. We couldn’t get to you. I wasn’t even the one who figured out how to make it work. Bishop had the idea of climbing up and catching you.”

He broke off and shook his head. Vic moved closer to him, sliding a hand over his shoulder to his chest. She rested her chin on his other shoulder and said, “You saved us. It doesn’t matter who came up with the idea. It worked, and you and Bishop were able to get us out. We’re both perfectly fine.”

“I didn’t think I was going to catch you. I almost didn’t catch Miller.”

Vic moved around until she was straddling his lap. She placed her hands on the sides of his head and forced him to look at her. “Lucas Ripley, you are the Chief of the fire department. From what I’ve heard, you’re the youngest to ever reach that rank. And that means you must be a damn good firefighter. You caught me, and you caught Miller. You kept the room we were in fire free until you could get to us. Miller and I got out injury free thanks to you and the rest of our team. That is all that matters.”

By the time she stopped talking, Lucas had a small smile on his lips. His eyes sparkled. Vic only had a second to take in a breath before his lips were over hers. His kiss was passionate, possessive. But not demanding. Vic opened up to him. Their tongues twisted around each other. They breathed each other in.

Then he tore his mouth from hers and trailed open mouthed kissed down the side of her neck. Vic’s fingers slid into his hair as his lips moved lower. His tongue slipped out, the tip tracing the curve of her breast. A moan escaped her when his tongue reached her nipple, flicking it before his mouth closed over it. He sucked gently and then shifted to her other breast, giving it the same treatment.

His hands grasped her waist, and he lifted her up slightly. Vic settled back down, her eyes closing as he slid into her. She let him set the pace, slow and smooth. He continued sucking and kissing her breasts while his hands lifted her and lowered her back down. Vic let her head fall back, fully enjoying what Lucas was doing to her body.

But she soon decided she needed to be in charge. She moved her hands to his chest and pushed him back onto the bed. Then she began rolling her hips as she leaned down to take his mouth once more. His hands slid down to her hips, but she was in control of their movements. It was his turn to enjoy. Though she could already feel her climax building.

His body gave in first. His hips jerked, and he broke the kiss to gasp for air. Vic continued her movements as he spilled inside her until her own orgasm took over. Even then her hips seemed to move with their own momentum. Wave after wave of ecstasy coursed through her until she fell limp against him.

Lucas ran his hands over her back, slowly bringing her back to the present. Once she’d regained a bit of strength, she lifted her head and smiled at him. “Feel better now?”

“Of course,” he told her, grinning. “I’m damn sure glad I caught you yesterday.”

“Me, too,” Vic replied. She kissed him briefly before laying her head on his chest. His hands kept gliding up and down her back.

Several minutes passed before his hands stopped moving, and he chuckled. “You know, I think I’m going to have to start wearing a condom whenever I’m around you. We seem to keep having spontaneous sex that doesn’t leave time to grab one.”

Vic lifted her head again. “I told you I’m on birth control and clean.”

“After the first time, yes. I remember,” he said. “But it’s not one hundred percent. We can’t really afford any unexpected accidents.”

“You mean you don’t want to explain getting me pregnant while you’re my interim captain?” Vic asked, a touch of humor in her voice.

Lucas laughed. He grabbed the sides of her head and pulled her mouth down to his. The kiss heated up rather quickly. Vic could feel his arousal building again already. She pulled her lips from his and gave him a curious yet wanting look. He shook his head. “See what I mean?”

“You’re the one who started it this time,” Vic pointed out. Then she used her inner muscles to squeeze him.

His hips jerked. She did it again, and he grabbed her hips. “What am I going to do with you, Victoria Hughes?”

She leaned over him, her hands on either side of his head. Their gazes met, and she knew from his expression that her eyes answered him. But still, she demanded, “Fuck me.”


	7. Chapter 7

A week after Vic jumped from the window of a burning building, Lucas was beginning to wonder if he could hand Station 19 off to someone else. He enjoyed working with them, and he loved being able to see Vic every day. But she was temptation on legs and determined to make him miserable. She kept to their agreement of not working together whenever possible. Yet she still managed to find ways to distract him.

If she walked by him, her gaze always traveled down his body suggestively, even if others were around. She seemed to pop up in random places around the station, either giving him an intimate look or saying something that would sound innocent to anyone else. And if he was in the office by himself, she sent texts that made him glad he was alone when he read them.

She was driving him insane. Yet he couldn’t make himself tell her to stop. By the end of the week, he found himself watching for her every time he left the office. He started eating meals with the team again. And his focus stayed on her even when he wasn’t looking at her. He responded to her suggestive texts with ideas of his own, knowing that after shift, they would enjoy some of their suggestions.

So he wasn’t surprised when she showed up in the turnout room while he was checking the dates on oxygen tanks stored there. He was writing down the last date in his report when she spoke from directly behind him. “We’re alone in this room again. Remember what happened last time?”

Lucas dropped his head and sighed. Then he turned to face her. “We can’t let that happen again. Especially right now.”

Vic actually pouted. Or at least she pretended to. “So you don’t want me.”

He shook his head and held up a hand. “That is not what I’m saying. I do want you. Just not here. We set up boundaries for a reason.”

“I know,” she replied. “I just thought it would be fun to sneak around. Plus the door locks, so…”

“Vic, stop. Please,” Lucas begged. “You know how much I want you. But we have to be careful while at work. If someone finds out, we’ll both have a lot of hoops to jump through.”

Vic smiled, it wasn’t her usual bright smile, but one of understanding. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”

She moved toward the door. He followed and opened it for her. As she walked out, he said, “We both know you won’t.”

They laughed, but Vic stopped suddenly. She stopped moving and she stopped laughing. Lucas ran into her but then quickly moved away when he saw Gibson staring at them. The Lieutenant said, “My first shift back, and I’m already in on a secret.”

“What secret?” Lucas asked him, knowing exactly what it looked like was going on.

Gibson smirked. “You two seem to like that room a lot.”

Vic spoke up. “Even though you’re wrong this time, you know exactly why. Don’t you?”

Her words made the smile on Gibson’s face disappear. Lucas glanced between them, confused. “Am I missing something here?”

“Is he, Jack?” Vic responded.

“No?” Gibson replied. They seemed to be having a silent conversation. Lucas wasn’t sure he was okay with that. But the Lieutenant shook his head and said, “I won’t say anything.”

“Then neither will I,” Vic told him. Then Gibson walked off.

Lucas asked, “What was that about?”

Vic smiled at him. “Jack sort of knows about us. He saw my phone when you called me after I ran out on you.”

Oh no. Lucas felt his heartbeat pick up its pace. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She shrugged. “He’s okay with it and promised not to say anything.”

“But still…”

“We’re good. I can make sure of it.”

“How?” he asked her even though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

Vic glanced the way Gibson had gone and said, “I’m not the only one at this station that doesn’t want my personal life to be advertised. And that is all I can tell you, Chief.”

“If there’s something going on I need to know about,” he started.

“There isn’t.”

Lucas stared at her. She stared back. He didn’t like knowing that she was keeping something from him. Because she was one of his firefighters and because she was someone he was beginning to realize he cared for. But he needed to respect the bond she had with her teammates. So he didn’t push it. Instead, he shook his head and walked away.

Several of the team were gathered in the kitchen. Lucas called out, “Gibson, can I see you in the office?”

He ignored the curious looks from the others as he left the room. Gibson followed him into the office and shut the door. Before Lucas could say anything, the Lieutenant did. “Sir, I’m fine with whatever it is you and Vic are doing. It’s your personal business. I haven’t told anyone yet, and I won’t as long as I don’t need to.”

“Thank you for that,” Lucas said. “We shouldn’t be asking you to keep secrets from your team, and I’m sorry.”

Gibson laughed. “We’re a family. Even I know all families have secrets from each other.”

Lucas let a smile slip through. “I guess you’re right about that.”

“I will say one thing, though,” Gibson told him, his voice becoming serious. “Because Vic is family, I will take her side if you ever hurt her in any way. Even if it means losing my job.”

“I can respect that,” Lucas replied after a short hesitation. “It’s still too new to say where it’s going, but I do care about her. I will do my best to keep her – and her job – safe.”

Gibson nodded once. “That’s all I ask. I will warn you, though. If you break up, and the others here find out about it, they won’t be as welcoming as they are now.”

Lucas laughed at that. “As long as they respect my position, they can hate me as much as they like.”

“I’ll make sure they know that if you two ever end this whatever-it-is.”

“Thank you,” Lucas said. Then he added, “You wouldn’t want to tell me what Vic is holding over you, would you?”

Gibson shook his head. “Not really. It’s just something that happened last year. Nothing you need to worry about now.”

Lucas watched him. The Lieutenant’s face was blank, not a trace of any embarrassment or fear. So either whatever it was really didn’t matter anymore or Gibson was much better at keeping secrets than Vic. Not that it was hard. Lucas already knew all of Vic’s tells when she was trying to hide something from him. But that might be from studying her so much lately.


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone was settling down for the night. They’d just finished a call for a car accident with three trapped. It took over two hours to get all three of them out. Thankfully they all survived. But it had been a tough call. When the team reached the scene, Vic’s first thought was that nobody would’ve been able to survive in the carnage that had been two vehicles. She couldn’t even tell what kind of vehicles they once were.

Even after finding everyone alive, extracting them, and getting the patients to the hospital, Vic couldn’t stop picturing the scene when they arrived. She tried to wash it away in the shower, but that didn’t work. An aggressive workout tired her body out, but her mind still held that picture right in front of her eyes.

Noticing that everyone seemed to be asleep, Vic pulled out her phone and sent a message to Lucas, asking if he was awake. He replied immediately. So Vic slipped out of the room and headed for the office. The door was shut, but she didn’t bother knocking. He was probably expecting her anyway.

He looked up just as she shut the door. The smile on his lips dimmed, replaced by concern. “What’s wrong?”

Vic wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m having trouble processing that last call. I can’t figure out how any of them survived.”

Lucas came around the desk, and they both sat in the chairs. He grasped her hand and said, “They were lucky. The way the cars folded around them kept them from being completely crushed. I also found out from the hospital that the single driver was heavily intoxicated.”

“Damn. I’m glad the other two made it, then,” Vic responded. “Seeing what was left when we got there, my heart broke for their families. I just knew they were all dead before we could help them.”

He slid an arm around her shoulders. “Me, too. Some initial views of a scene are wrong. I’m glad this was one of them.”

Vic turned her head into his shoulder as tears burned her eyes. She didn’t even know why one scene affected her so strongly. It wasn’t like she knew the patients personally. It didn’t make her think about a past tragedy or anything like that. She just couldn’t get it out of her mind for some reason.

Lucas shifted, so Vic lifted her head. He asked, “Is everyone else asleep?”

“They’re in bed at least,” Vic replied. Lucas stood and held out his hand. She took it and stood as well. Then she let him lead her into the captain’s bunk room. “What are we doing?”

“Relax, Vic. I just want to hold you. You’re upset,” he told her. Vic couldn’t help but smile. Lucas was just what she needed to get her mind off that call. He was so sweet and always taking care of her. He could anticipate what she needed – even if he still made her say it sometimes. And Vic had never been in a relationship with someone like that. She could get used to it.

They climbed onto the bed, and Lucas tugged her against him. He wrapped his arms around her. Vic snuggled into him, burying her head against his chest. She breathed in his scent and warmth. Her body began to relax. Then he started running his hands up and down her back. Vic closed her eyes. What she saw was not the accident from earlier. Her mind finally let it change to a more comforting image.

 

Vic awoke with a start. She sat up and checked her surroundings. Lucas snored softly beside her. But they weren’t in her bedroom. Or her apartment. No, they were in the captain’s bunk room at the station. Together. With her team in the same building.

She moved Lucas’s hand from her hip and got out of the bed. As quietly as possible, Vic slipped out of the room. She opened the office door slowly, checking to make sure no one was around. The coast was clear, so she stepped out and shut the door behind her. Then she made her way to the bunk room.

Just as she sat down on her bunk, Travis whispered, “Is everything okay, Vic?”

She jumped. “You scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry,” he said with a chuckle. He sat up on his own bunk. “Why are you sneaking around at-" he checked his watch “-three o'clock in the morning?”

Vic hoped it was dark enough to hide her blush. “I’m not sneaking around.”

“Then where were you?”

“What, have you been up waiting for me or something?”

Travis shook his head. “I can’t sleep. I’m guessing you can’t either.”

Vic sighed. “Yeah.”

“So where did you go hide?” Travis asked.

She paused. If she said a place he’d been, then he would know she was hiding something from him. From the way he was asking, though, she had a feeling he was already suspicious. So she finally said, “Around. I tried settling down in several places.”

Travis studied her so closely Vic almost spilled her secret. But Jack rolled over and said, “Will you two talk about this later, when people aren’t trying to sleep?”

Vic could’ve kissed Jack for distracting Travis. She slid her legs under the blanket as Travis stood up. He stretched and said, “I’m going to watch a movie. Feel free to join me if you can’t sleep.”

He left, and Vic glanced toward Jack. She whispered, “Thank you.”

“Next time you decide to spend half the night with your mystery man, wait until the rest of us are actually asleep,” Jack told her.

“Gibson, I swear to God…”

Jack laughed. “Don’t worry. Nobody saw you sneak in or out.”

Vic sighed. She’d only been thinking that a call bothered her, and she knew Lucas could comfort her. Sneaking into his office at night had been a risky, stupid thing to do. Somebody could’ve seen her even if she didn’t see them. They would press her about it. And she wouldn’t be able to hide exactly where she was.

She tossed the blanket off and stood up again. Jack rolled halfway over and asked, “Twice in one night?”

“I’m not stupid!” Vic hissed. He chuckled and rolled back over. Vic left the room in search of Travis. He sat on the couch staring at the TV. She plopped down beside him and stole half of his blanket.

Travis put his arm behind her head. He didn’t say anything as she settled in next to him. Vic had no idea what he was watching, but she really didn’t care. She needed more than the three hours of sleep she’d gotten in Lucas's bed. Hopefully staring at the TV would help her relax again.

But then Travis asked, “Is something going on with you?”

She lifted her head enough to look at him. “What? No. Why?”

“You’ve been acting weird lately. Like, really weird.”

Vic laid her head back against his arm. “Nope. Nothing going on with me.”

“See, now I know there’s something,” he said. “You get defensive when you’re hiding something.”

“I’m not hiding anything,” Vic stated.

Minutes passed before Travis spoke again. “I thought we were good.”

Vic lifted her head again. “We are.”

He looked at her. “Then why aren’t you talking to me?”

“Trav, what is all this about?”

Travis shrugged. “I can tell there’s something different about you, but you won’t tell me anything. The last few times I asked if you wanted to hang out, you turned me down. Did I do something?”

She shook her head repeatedly. “No, not at all. I’ve just been busy.”

“With what?”

Vic sighed. She needed to tell him something without telling him the truth. This was why she sucked at keeping secrets. She finally settled with, “I’ve started seeing someone. But it’s still new, and we aren’t really telling anyone just yet.”

“Victoria Hughes!” Travis exclaimed a little loud for the middle of the night. “You’ve been keeping a secret? From me? How could you?”

“There’s nothing to tell yet.”

“Seriously, he must be special if you’re keeping him all to yourself. It is a guy, right? You haven’t switched teams on me, have you?” Travis asked.

Vic laughed. “He is definitely a guy. And as for not telling anyone…well, he’s not ready for that yet.”

“He’s not married, is he?”

The question caught Vic off guard. She had assumed Lucas was single since he spent all of his time with her or at work. Vic replied, “Uh, no?”

“You never bothered to ask, did you?”

“I was a bit busy focused on other things,” she admitted.

Travis turned his body to face hers. “Is he that good in bed?”

Again Vic didn’t know what to say. If Travis knew who they were talking about, he wouldn’t be asking. And he would find out eventually. But maybe he wouldn’t remember the conversation. It could happen, right?

“You’re thinking about him right now, aren’t you,” Travis stated rather than asked.

Vic felt her cheeks warm. “Well, we are talking about him, so yeah.”

Travis shook his head and smiled. “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding a new guy from me. You better let me meet him before the wedding at least.”

“Umm, what?”

He laughed. “If he’s special enough for you, the world’s worst secret keeper, to hide from me and I’m assuming everyone else, then he better never break your heart. And that means you’ll be with him forever.”

“Yeah, sorry, Trav. I don’t think we’re at that stage just yet. Or even close to it.”

“Ah, the spice stage,” Travis said as he settled back against her and slid his arm back across her shoulders.

Vic couldn’t help but smile. “Oh yeah, and we’ll be at that stage for a while.”


	9. Chapter 9

It was a good thing Lucas knew Montgomery was gay and Vic’s best friend, because the scene in front of him looked really…cozy. They were sitting on the couch, sharing a blanket. His arm was around her, and their heads supported each other. And they were peacefully asleep. Lucas wasn’t sure what to think of his morning discovery.

“Morning, Chief,” Miller said from beside him.  
Lucas glanced toward Miller and placed a finger against his own lips. Then he pointed at the two sleeping.

Miller whispered, “I swear those two are like the same person sometimes.”

“They do seem to be close,” Lucas responded quietly.

“Oh, yeah. They’ve been inseparable since Vic joined us,” Miller told him.

“Who are we talking about?” Bishop asked as she joined them. Miller just gestured toward the couch.

Gibson and Warren walked up, and Lucas pointed to Vic and Montgomery without saying anything. He caught Gibson’s raised eyebrow directed his way and gave the slightest shake of his head. No, he wasn’t jealous. Much.

Montgomery stirred, which woke them both up. Vic noticed the audience first. Her eyes landed on Lucas, and she threw the blanket onto Montgomery and stood. “Uh, sorry. Guess we fell asleep watching the movie.”

“Sorry if we woke you,” Lucas said, making sure to glance at Montgomery as well.

Vic met his gaze again. “Oh, it’s okay L-Chief.”

Lucas’s heart stopped for a millisecond at her near-slip. Her gaze went to the floor, her cheeks reddened. Gibson cleared his throat and announced, “Breakfast is ready if anyone is interested.”

“I am,” Lucas replied. He went around the others and moved toward the kitchen – away from Vic. Gibson stood on the other side of the island counter, holding a coffee mug. Lucas offered him an appreciative nod, foregoing words that might be overheard.

The rest of the team filed into the room and began filling their plates. Conversation flowed freely, and Lucas put in a word or two occasionally. He tried not to react when Vic entered the room, freshly showered and changed. Montgomery followed her, yawning as he took the plate she held out.

“What time did you two finally fall asleep?” Bishop asked.

Montgomery responded, “It was after three. That’s the last time I checked the time, anyway.”

“At least shift is over soon,” Warren commented. “You can both go home and get some sleep.”

Vic and Montgomery shared a look that piqued Lucas’s curiosity. He was torn between letting Vic get some rest or going to her place like they planned. When he woke up that morning to find her gone, dread filled him until he remembered where they were. He’d thought she just went back to her own bunk so nobody would catch them. What he hadn’t expected was to find her asleep on the couch with Montgomery. 

And clearly she was still exhausted given her almost calling him by his first name. He was surprised no one on her team commented on it. Hopefully they didn’t catch it. Though Gibson did. But he already knew about them. He’d stepped in and distracted the others with breakfast. Lucas was grateful. He didn’t know how they would explain Vic’s familiarity with him without telling the whole story. And he wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet.

Hushed arguing caught his attention from the other end of the table. Vic and Montgomery seemed to be having a secret argument. They were whispering, but he could hear enough to need to stop it before anyone else got involved. Lucas cleared his throat and stated, “Hughes, Montgomery, why don’t you leave early today? The next shift will be here in an hour, and neither of you are fit to be of any good if we get a last minute call.”

“But that leaves the station short-staffed,” Vic argued.

“Let me worry about that,” Lucas told her. He stared right into her eyes as he added, “You go home and get some sleep.”

Her eyes told him she understood his hidden meaning. She shoved in the last bite of her orange and stood. “Come on, Montgomery. Call Grant to take us home. I’m too tired to drive.”

Montgomery pulled out his phone as he and Vic left the room. Lucas inwardly chuckled. Apparently he wasn’t the only person Vic liked to boss around. He was just the only one who got turned on by it. And enjoyed the benefits of it. And yeah, he’d give Vic a few hours to rest before he showed up. She would need it.

It was the longest four hours of his life. The last hour of shift was quiet. Then he handed the station over to B shift and headed to his office at Headquarters. He tried to work on some paperwork he’d fallen behind on, but he couldn’t concentrate on it. He had to rewrite an approval letter for an extended leave request three times.

So when his phone went off, he snatched it off the desk and answered before the first ring finished. Vic’s voice sounded groggy when she asked, “Where are you?”

“I’m at the office,” he replied, already finishing up his task and getting ready to leave.

“I thought you were coming over.”

He shut down his computer and told her, “I wanted to give you time to rest.”

“How thoughtful,” she said. Lucas couldn’t tell if she was being truthful or sarcastic.

“I can come over now if you want.”

Vic hesitated, and he heard her yawn. Then she stated, “Only if you bring me food. I’m starving.”

Lucas laughed. He slipped on his jacket and asked, “What are you in the mood for?”

“Hmm…Thai food sounds good.”

“All right. I’ll pick some up on my way. I’m leaving right now,” he said. Vic yawned again, and Lucas stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Are you sure you want me to come over?”

Vic demanded, “Bring me food, Lucas.”

“I am,” he replied.

“Good. I’m going to go take a shower to wake myself up. I’ll leave the door unlocked,” she explained.

Lucas ignored the lust that ran through his system at the image of Vic in the shower. They needed food before they had any fun. Plus he wanted to make sure she was awake enough to enjoy it. So he hung up and left the building. Her favorite Thai restaurant was on the way, so he stopped to get their lunch. Still, when he arrived at her apartment, she had yet to emerge from the bathroom.

He had the food and two glasses of water set out by the time she came out of the bedroom. His mouth went dry at the sight of her. The t-shirt she wore barely touched her thighs, and yet a pair of shorts peeked out from underneath. She’d just pulled her still wet hair up into a mass of curls on top of her head. She had never looked sexier.

“Lunch is served,” he said, gesturing to the food.

Vic moved toward him and kissed his cheek. “My hero.”

He laughed as they sat down. While they filled their plates, he asked, “So how late did you and Montgomery stay up?”

“I left your room around three. He was still awake, and I couldn’t go back to sleep. So we ended up watching a movie and talking. I have no idea when we actually fell asleep,” she told him.

“What did you talk about?”

“You.”

Lucas set the container of noodles back down. “What?”

Vic shrugged. “He noticed I’ve been distracted from our friendship lately, so I told him why.”

“And?” he pressed.

“He got upset because I’m keeping you to myself,” she said before taking a bite.

Lucas sipped his water, then mumbled, “I’m not sure how to take that.”

Vic looked up at him. “I didn’t tell him who you are. Just that I’m seeing someone new and we’re not advertising it.”

“Well, I’m glad he was as tired as you this morning, or he would’ve figured it out pretty quickly,” Lucas stated.

“Why’s that?”

Lucas stared at her, his fork halfway to his mouth. “Do you not remember what you said?”

She seemed to think for a moment. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, my God. I almost called you by your first name. In front of most of my team. Oh no.”

“It’s all right, Vic,” Lucas assured her. “I think the only one who picked up on it was Gibson. He distracted the others pretty quickly.”

“I owe that man,” Vic murmured.

“We both do.”

Vic looked at him. “No, seriously. He heard Travis bugging me about where I was last night and stepped in. Of course we probably were really keeping him awake, but still…”

“I feel like I need to give him a bonus for going above and beyond.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be suspicious at all.”

Lucas shrugged. “Okay, so we’ll find another way to thank him. And apologize for making him keep our secret.”

“He’s better at it than we are.”

“He doesn’t have to work with someone he can’t stop thinking about,” Lucas commented. A strange expression flashed in Vic’s eyes. But he didn’t ask about it. He assumed it had something to do with whatever she was holding over Gibson’s head. Someday he would find out. But at the moment, all he wanted to do was convince Vic to worship him the way she was the food passing between her kissable lips.


	10. Chapter 10

Six weeks had passed since the storm went through Seattle. Six weeks since Andy and Sullivan went into the ravine. And six weeks of Lucas being at 19 all the time. Vic was ready for everything to go back to normal. She wished she could enjoy working with Lucas every day, but not letting her attraction to him show while working with him was exhausting. And since her slip up and telling Travis she was seeing someone, Vic tried extra hard to act normal around Lucas.

Andy finally returned to work. Sullivan would still be out for another week due to a complication while in the hospital. And Lucas had made the decision to stay until Sullivan was cleared for duty. With Jack's PTSD and Andy's healing injuries, Vic couldn’t blame him. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t frustrated. 

She worked the aid car with Andy. The day started out with breakfast being interrupted by a call for a structure fire. Vic drove. They had barely left the station when Andy asked, “So maybe it’s because I’ve been gone, but has Ripley mellowed out as a captain?”

Vic squeezed the steering wheel and kept her eyes glued to the road. “Maybe he’s finally settled in with us.”

“Maybe,” Andy said. She went silent, so Vic relaxed. But then Andy commented, “Or maybe it’s because of you.”

“What?” Vic squealed. She glanced toward Andy, hoping her panic didn’t show.

Andy gave her one of her ornery smiles. “I saw the way he kept watching you at breakfast. I think someone has a crush.”

Vic shook her head vehemently. “You’re wrong. Why would the Chief have a crush on me? Nope.”

Before Andy could respond, they reached the scene. Vic jumped out and started gathering anything they might need. She watched Lucas direct the others toward the house. Dean and Jack brought out an unconscious victim, so Vic and Andy busied themselves trying to save her life. Minutes later, the woman took a breath and coughed.

“Good job,” Lucas said from directly behind Vic. She startled and glanced his way quickly before returning to checking vitals again.

“Thanks, Chief,” she mumbled. He walked away, and Vic chanced a look toward Andy. The Lieutenant stared at Vic with a knowing smile. Vic shook her head. “Just a compliment. For both of us.”

Andy let out a short laugh. “Keep telling yourself that.”

They finished up the scene and transported their patient to the hospital. Once back in the aid car, Vic hesitantly asked, “Do you really think Ripley has feelings for me?”

“I thought you didn’t believe me.”

“Well, if you noticed, maybe the others did, too,” Vic explained.

“He won’t stop watching you,” Andy told her. “Even at the scene, he never turned his back to us. I think maybe he wants to be more than waving buddies.”

Vic stayed silent. She really didn’t know what to say. Of course he wanted to be more than ‘waving buddies.’ He already was more than that. They were more than that. But she couldn’t tell Andy the truth just yet.

They arrived back at the station and headed inside. Lucas was in the kitchen when they entered the room. Vic exchanged glances with Andy and went straight to the refrigerator. Lucas asked, “How’s your patient?”

Vic hesitated but knew Andy would force her to answer. She shut the refrigerator and said, “She’s stable. Stayed awake the whole ride.”

“Good,” Lucas replied. He watched Vic with a curious expression. She avoided meeting his gaze. “Well, get something to eat before we get called out again.”

He nodded toward Andy and left the room. Andy immediately faced Vic and said, “He is so into you.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vic told her.

Andy laughed. Maya walked up and asked, “What’s so funny?”

Vic gave Andy a warning glare. Andy turned to Maya. “Vic has a secret admirer.

“Ooh, how do you know that?” Maya inquired, placing her elbows on the counter and resting her chin on her fists.

“I don’t have a secret admirer,” Vic stated.

Andy nodded. “Yes, she does. He can’t keep his eyes off of her.”

Vic shook her head. “I’m telling you, Andy, you’re seeing things.”

“Yeah, I’m seeing him practically falling at your feet,” Andy quipped.

Maya spoke up. “Who is he?”

Vic gave Andy a pleading look. One person suspicious was bad enough. But if Maya started in on it, too…Vic couldn’t handle that. She would cave. She would end up telling them the truth. And then the others would find out. Then Sullivan, who would report it.

“Whoever it is, I think Vic might feel the same way,” Maya commented.

Andy laughed almost hysterically. Vic shook her head yet again. “Nope. Not at all. Not a bit.”

Maya and Andy exchanged glances. Then Andy said, “You know we’re okay with it if you do.”

“We are?” Maya asked.

“You are?” Vic asked at the same time.

Andy shrugged. “Of course we are. Why wouldn’t we be?”

Vic looked toward Maya and sighed. “Because of who he is.”

“Who is it?” Maya asked a second time.

The alarm went off for aid car. Relief flooded through Vic. She knew Andy would probably tell Maya later, but she didn’t want to be there for that conversation. She could just hide for the rest of shift, avoid everyone. Maybe Lucas would even let her hide in his bunk room. Then again, being caught in there would prove Andy right.

Andy drove this time. They were barely a block away when Vic’s phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and unlocked it. Lucas had sent her a message. Vic checked to make sure Andy wasn’t paying attention to her and opened the message. “Is everything okay? You seemed off earlier.”

She texted back, “Andy’s suspicious.”

A minute later, she got a reply. “Why? She’s been gone.”

Vic replied, “Apparently you can’t keep your eyes off me.”

He responded immediately, “Can you blame me?”

Unable to keep herself from laughing, Vic sent back, “Yes, I can. Be professional.”

“Who are you talking to?” Andy asked 

Vic put her phone back in her pocket. “No one.”

“Okay, then who are you texting?”

“Uh, here’s the address,” Vic said instead of answering. Andy pulled over and stopped the aid car. A teenage boy ran out of the house just as they climbed out.

“He’s in here.”

Andy leaned toward Vic as they grabbed their equipment. “You’re acting really weird today. If you have a secret, you might as well tell me.”

“No secret to share,” Vic stated. “Let’s go save a guy’s life.”

“Fine. But when we get back, you’re going to spill,” Andy told her. Vic swallowed the panic that started to rise. Yeah, she might just hide out the rest of shift. If only she could think of somewhere nobody would think to look.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is explicit.

“We should go celebrate Andy’s first day back,” Bishop suggested as the team walked out of the station after shift.

Lucas glanced toward Vic. She was looking at him, so he nodded subtly to let her know he was okay with her joining them. But her eyes widened just a bit, and she shook her head. Oh, right. Her team was beginning to get suspicious and bugging her about the new man in her life. If that man wasn’t him, Lucas would find it funny.

Montgomery stated, “I can’t this morning. Grant and I have plans.”

“Uh, yeah. I can’t either,” Vic said, not looking at anybody.

Lucas noticed Herrera smile at Vic. That smile was dangerous. But Bishop spoke up before Herrera could. “Why don’t we go out tonight? We can meet at Joe’s at, like, eight o’clock?”

“That’s a good idea,” Herrera agreed.

Montgomery nodded. “Grant and I can do that. If you’re okay with him coming, that is.”

Herrera’s smile brightened. “Of course! All significant others are welcome.”

She said that while staring at Vic. Lucas turned toward his vehicle before anyone could see the embarrassment he was sure showed on his face. He grabbed the handle on the driver’s door just as Herrera called out, “You can come, too, Chief. You are part of the 19 family while Sullivan is out.”

Lucas spoke over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t want to hamper your fun.”

“Oh, you won’t,” Gibson replied. Lucas shot him a warning look.

Bishop added, “We would all love to have you join us.”

“I’ll think about it,” Lucas finally said. Then he escaped into his vehicle. The team was standing around their vehicles, still planning, when he left the parking lot. He felt bad for abandoning Vic with them, but he was sure it would be worse if he stayed. He just hoped she could get out of there soon as well.

After picking up their agreed upon breakfast, Lucas drove to Vic’s apartment. She was getting out of her car when he pulled in. Apparently noticing it was him, she waited in front of the building’s door for him. Lucas held up the takeout bag as he approached. Vic said, “There better be extra bacon in that bag. Otherwise you’re in trouble.”

“I got extra bacon and that jam you like so much,” he told her. It earned him a nod, and she spun around. Lucas followed her inside and up to her apartment. Once inside, he set the food on the table and grasped her arms. He kissed her briefly before saying, “I’m sorry for leaving you with the wolves. I figured it would be easier to handle them without me there.”

Vic waved a hand and turned toward the kitchen. “They weren’t too bad. With everyone there, Andy didn’t push. Plus they were busy making plans for tonight.”

“I don’t have to go,” Lucas stated. “You need a night out with your friends.”

“Yeah, about that…” she trailed off. Lucas watched her chew a piece of bacon very slowly. Her head was lowered until she swallowed. Then she looked up at him and said, “I think we need to tell them.”

Lucas wasn’t surprised. Working closely with the team over the last six weeks, Lucas had gotten to know them. They really were a family. He actually felt guilty for making Vic lie to them. He felt guilty for lying to them himself. So he replied, “I agree.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “Clearly this between us isn’t going to end anytime soon. It’s unfair to expect you to continue to hide part of your life from the people you’re closest to.”

“But what if they report us?”

“Then we’ll deal with it. I’m not too worried about the consequences.”

Vic stared at him. “You could get demoted. Or fired.”

He shrugged. “Only if you claim I took advantage of you or my position over you.”

“If anything, I took advantage of you,” Vic said drily.

Lucas laughed. “That you definitely have. More than I’ve ever let anyone before.”

Vic smiled. “You let me?”

“Well, yes. It’s not like I make a habit of letting my firefighters tell me how to do my job. Or convince me to have sex in the turnout room while on duty,” he replied with a touch of humor in his voice.

“You’re the one that locked the door.”

“You told me to.”

“Do you do everything you’re told?”

“Only when you’re the one telling me to do it.”

Vic stared at him, a smile playing at her lips. Lucas stared back, amused. He slowly took a bite of his meat-filled omelet, never taking his eyes off her. She broke eye contact and picked up her fork only to stir around the syrup puddled on her plate. “Are you really okay with telling my team?”

“If you want to, yes.”

“When?”

Lucas shrugged. “We could wait until next shift. Or we could take them all out to dinner. Unless you want to tell them one at a time.”

“What about tonight?” Vic suggested.

“You mean at the bar?”

She shrugged. “They invited you. Andy said you’re family now. I guess she’s kind of more right about that than she knows.”

They both laughed. Then Lucas said, “So, what? I’m just going to show up at Joe’s with you?”

Vic was quiet for a moment. Then she said, “Jack already knows. Andy is figuring it out, which means Maya will, too. Travis knows I’m seeing someone, just not who. I think just showing up together would pretty much tell them.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Lucas agreed. He stood and carried his plate to the sink. Vic came up behind him and reached around to put her plate on top of his. Then she slid her arms around him. He placed a hand over hers. “So what are we going to do until time to leave?”

He turned and moved both hands to her hips. Vic whispered in his ear, “We enjoy being a secret for a few more hours.”

A chill ran through his body. His mouth crashed against hers. He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Lucas went straight to the bedroom, laying them both on the bed. Their lips never parted, but she relaxed her legs. He caressed her body, at the same time releasing her uniform top and tank from her pants.

His hand slid across her stomach in an upward direction. Vic moaned when his hand closed over one of her breasts. Her fingers started undoing the buttons on his shirt. He moved his lips from hers down the side of her neck. He pulled his hand out from under her shirts and joined her in getting rid of their clothing. Shirts were pushed off, belts undone. Everything went flying to random places in the room.

And then there was nothing between them. Vic smiled up at him. He studied her face. Her smile lit up her dark brown eyes, making them sparkle. Lucas couldn’t help but tell her, “You are so beautiful, Victoria.”

“I know,” she replied. Lucas chuckled. Then he kissed her again. He trailed kisses down her neck and across her shoulders. His lips circled one breast before clamping down on the nipple. Vic gasped and slid her fingers into his hair. He moved to her other breast and did the same thing.

And then he resumed kissing down her body, over her stomach. He gently pressed her legs apart so he could kiss the inside of each thigh. He shifted her legs so her thighs rested on his shoulders. Vic’s fingers tightened their grip on his hair as he moved closer to her core. The first slide of his tongue over her slit had her crying out. Lucas lifted his gaze to find that she had thrown her head back and thrust her chest up.

He flicked his tongue over her most sensitive spot. Then he slid the very tip just inside before doing it all over again. Vic's hips lifted, and her fingers tugged on his hair. He lifted his head. This time she was looking at him. She practically whined, “Lucas, please.”

“Please, what?” he responded and swirled his tongue through her folds.

She cried out again and tugged even harder. “Please. I need you.”

“I’m right here.”

“No,” she panted as she shook her head. She looked into his eyes and told him, “I need you. All of you.”

Lucas smiled and pushed himself up. He gripped her legs to keep them loosely over his shoulders as he moved up her body. When his face was above hers, he placed his hands on either side of her head. Then he stared into her eyes as he very slowly filled her where she needed him. Vic tried to arch her back as her head pressed into the pillow.

Once he was fully inside, he slowly pulled back out. Vic came undone. Her body convulsed. She cried out again. Lucas held himself poised above her until she began coming back down. Then he pressed back in again, this time stopping when he was all the way in. He waited, watching, until Vic opened her eyes. “We are definitely doing that again.”

Lucas laughed and began thrusting his hips. He kept a slow pace, hoping to build her back up. But he knew he wouldn’t last long. He felt his own climax approaching and changed his position just slightly. A gasp from Vic told him he hit the right spot. He picked up the pace a bit until his hips jerked on their own and his mind went blank. He vaguely felt Vic’s body squeezing him as he fell over the edge.

She pushed him off of herself before his mind completely recovered. He lay on his back, trying to catch his breath. Once he could see his surroundings, Lucas turned his head toward her and breathed out, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she replied just as breathless. “Legs. Hurt. Couldn’t hold. Position.”

His brain unfogged at that. “Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. And like I said, we are definitely doing that one again.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for brief language.

It was almost time to meet everyone at Joe’s. Vic double checked the plans with Andy so she and Lucas would show up around the same time as everyone else. They’d debated going late so the others had already begun drinking, but Vic decided against that. She would need to have time to get drunk herself if she was going to deal with teasing from her friends. Or arguments. Andy had already told her she approved, and Jack was fine with it. But Vic had no idea how anyone else would react to her dating the Fire Chief.

Vic wanted to dress sexy, knowing Lucas would be coming home with her that night. But she didn’t want to overdress either. So she settled for a black, pleated, strappy tank top with a burgundy denim jacket over it and dark wash, skin tight jeans. She dug through her shoes until she found a new pair she’d only worn once. They were black shooties with a three-inch heel, peep toe, and see-through with jewels all over them. She slipped them on and stood in front of her mirror. She looked hot.

She had just finished curling her hair and applying makeup when her doorbell rang. Vic smiled and left her bedroom. She opened her front door to find a shocked, speechless Lucas. He eyed her outfit all the way down to her shoes and back up. Oh yeah, he was definitely coming home with her.

Lucas cleared his throat and said, “You look gorgeous, Vic.”

“You’re not too bad yourself,” she told him, letting her gaze travel over his body. He wore a pale blue button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone. A white t-shirt peeked out. His black wool jacket made the color pop, which in turn made his blue eyes shine. Or maybe that was just because of the way he was looking at her.

“We should go before we miss it,” he commented with a hint of warning. Vic stepped forward and kissed his cheek. Then she grabbed her purse. When she turned back around, Lucas held out a long, slender box. Her gaze flew to his, asking without words. He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “I figured telling your friends and coworkers about us makes it official. So I bought you something to remember the day by.”

Vic hesitantly took the box and opened it. And gasped. Inside lay a silver necklace. The pendant was a large heart half covered in diamonds and a smaller heart inside it with diamonds on the opposite side. Her hands shook as she took it out of the box. “I really shouldn’t accept this.”

“I am not bribing you or taking advantage of you,” he told her as he took the necklace and stepped behind her to put it around her neck. “I am merely giving you a gift to remember the day we went public with our relationship.”

“Thank you, Lucas. It’s beautiful.”

“So are you,” he replied as he came around to face her again. He pressed his lips to hers briefly. Then he offered his arm. Vic let him lead her out of the apartment and to his truck. Ever the gentleman, he even opened her door for her and helped her climb inside. She fingered the pendant, wondering why he really bought it for her.

Jewelry was a common gift for men to buy women, but Lucas hadn’t bought anything for her yet except food. And she was fine with that. She didn’t need extravagant gifts. He’d said it was to mark the day they became an official couple, which Vic agreed with even if they didn’t talk about it. But the two hearts seemed a bit much. Did they show a deeper meaning that Lucas wasn’t ready to talk about yet?

They reached the bar sooner than Vic expected. She saw Dean and Jack crossing the street as Lucas parked a block away. Lucas waited until the two men were inside before he got out and rounded the truck. Vic took his hand to slide out but dropped it once her feet touched the sidewalk. She didn’t want anyone to see something that would ruin the surprise.

As they neared the door to Joe’s, Lucas asked, “We are telling them right away, right?”

“Probably. Why?”

“Because with the way you look tonight, I don’t want anyone thinking you might be available,” he told her and opened the door. Vic laughed as she stepped inside. She spotted her team plus Grant and Ryan crammed in together at one end of the room. Maya spotted her first and waved. Vic waved back and led Lucas toward them.

Andy appeared to have already gotten started on the celebrating when she shouted, “Hi, Vic! Chief, you came!”

“Somebody talked me into it,” Lucas replied and nudged Vic’s shoulder.

“Oh, really…” Andy said, giving Vic a curious yet sensual look.

The others were watching them, so Vic realized it was time to tell her secret. “Some of you have started to figure it out, which I’m surprised took as long as it did given I suck at keeping secrets.”

“You have a secret?” Dean asked.

Vic sucked in a breath and stared at the table rather than meet anyone’s eyes. She blurted out, “The Chief and I have been seeing each other for the last seven weeks.”

“I knew it!” Andy exclaimed.

Travis responded, “That’s who you told me about?”

Maya laughed. Dean and Ben spoke, but Vic couldn’t really make out what they said. Lucas placed a hand on her lower back and announced, “I’m going to get a round for everyone.”

He left, and Vic sank down onto the edge of the booth seat. She lifted her gaze to find curious stares directed at her. Except Jack. He just smiled his trademark smile. Vic forced herself to say, “Bring on the questions.”

“How did it happen?” Maya asked.

“We started talking after a peer group meeting, and I realized he’s not the guy I thought he was. It sort of snowballed from there,” Vic explained.

Andy leaned forward. “So every time I teased you yesterday about him having a crush on you, you already knew how he feels.”

“Yes,” Vic replied. “And yes, the feeling is mutual. Obviously.”

“Is that who you keep texting every night?” Travis asked.

Vic nodded. “We wanted to keep our distance while on shift together, so texting was a way for us to stay connected.”

“Except the night none of us could sleep,” Travis added. “You were with him, weren’t you?”

“Technically, yes. For part of the night.”

“Did you at least lock the door?” Maya asked, sliding a pointed look at Andy and Jack.

Andy blushed. Vic jumped at the chance to shift the focus onto someone else. “Don’t tell me you did it in there, too.

“We took advantage of sharing it,” Andy admitted.

“Seriously?” Jack exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air.

Lucas set a tray of drinks on the table. As he handed them out, he said, “I think I’m beginning to figure out what Vic has over you, Gibson.”

“Sir, it was a long time ago,” Jack started.

Lucas cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it. Plausible deniability. Besides, I think I owe you a pass.”

The whole table laughed. Lucas grabbed a nearby chair and sat beside Vic. She ran a finger around the rim of her glass. “Seriously, guys, are you all cool with this?”

Andy answered her first, “I already told you I’m okay with it.”

“Yeah, I think once the awkwardness goes away I’ll be fine with it,” Ben replied. Then he shrugged. “I mean, I’ve been where you are.”

“I totally support it,” Maya said.

Dean glanced between them and inquired, “It’s not going to be weird around the station now, is it?”

“Nothing will change at work,” Lucas assured him.

“Then I can get behind it,” Dean said.

Vic looked at Travis, who stared at her. She sipped her drink before asking, “Trav? How do you feel about it?”

He lowered his gaze. “Can I take a raincheck on that?”

“No,” Vic told him.

Travis looked back up at her. “I’m okay with the whole you dating our boss. What I’m not okay with is that you didn’t tell me.”

“We were protecting everybody,” Lucas replied before Vic could. “Anyone who knew should have technically turned it in to HR for investigation. We needed to make sure there was something to tell before we jeopardized anyone’s career.”

“And is there?” Maya asked.

Vic smiled over at Lucas before facing her friends. “As of tonight, we are officially in a relationship.”

A long silence followed. Lucas grasped Vic’s hand and squeezed it. Several finished their drinks. Then Maya spoke up. “What about Sullivan?”

Lucas set his beer on the table and said, “I’ll tell him. He comes back in another week, so I’ll loop him in then.”

Apparently everyone ran out of questions after that. Or maybe they were too drunk to think of what they wanted to ask. They stayed until last call, laughing and drinking and celebrating. Out on the sidewalk when everyone was leaving, Andy stumbled up to Vic and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks, Andy,” Vic replied and pulled Andy’s arms from around her. Ryan slipped one of his around Andy’s waist and led her away. Vic turned to face Lucas, who smiled at her. She placed her hands on his chest before saying, “That went better than I expected.”

“I’m glad. I’d hate to come between you and your friends,” he told her.

Vic shook her head, nearly falling over until Lucas caught her. “Thanks. That will never happen. They respect you and love me.”

“Well, you are pretty loveable,” Lucas commented.  
She opened her mouth to point out what he’d said but realized she was too drunk for that conversation. So she settled with, “True.”

Lucas chuckled and slipped his arm around her waist. “Let’s get you home before you pass out.”

“Oh, I’m not passing out until after you’ve gotten me out of these clothes and fucked me,” Vic stated.

“I’ll try to be quick,” Lucas promised. Vic wasn’t drunk enough to believe him.


	13. Chapter 13

Things changed at the station. But in a good way. The team seemed to respect Lucas more. They also made sure he was included in meal times and after-shift plans. While on duty, Lucas and Vic still maintained a professional distance. But they didn’t have to hide their attraction from her friends any longer. And that burden being gone let their relationship bloom a bit more.

A week after telling the team, Sullivan returned to duty. Lucas made the decision to stick around for the Captain’s first shift back for two reasons. One, he wanted to make sure Sully was ready to take over the station. Two, he needed to find a way to tell Sully that he was dating one of his firefighters.

Lucas and Vic rode together to the station. They were walking across the parking lot, holding hands, when Montgomery called out from behind them. They stopped to wait for him to catch up. “Isn’t Sullivan back today?”

“Yes, he is,” Lucas replied. “I’m going to stay for today and make sure things run smoothly.”

“When are you telling him about, you know? Just so the rest of us don’t say something before you get a chance,” Montgomery said.

They reached the door, and Lucas dropped Vic’s hand. He lowered his voice and told Montgomery, “Whenever I get the chance. It depends on what the day brings.”

“Copy that,” he responded. Then he linked arms with Vic. “Come on, Vic. Let’s go see what Warren made for breakfast.”

“You coming?” Vic asked Lucas.

He gave her a smile instead of the kiss he wanted to give her. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. I want to see if Sullivan is here yet.”

She nodded and walked away with Montgomery. Lucas headed toward the office. Sully was there, looking at paperwork. Lucas knocked, and Sully’s head popped up. “Chief, thanks for covering for me.”

“You didn’t give me a choice, but you’re welcome,” Lucas told him as he entered the room. “I’ll be around today, too, in case you need anything.”

“I won’t,” Sully replied in his usual gruff voice.

Lucas nodded. “I know. Just in case.”

“I’m sure you have more important things to do than babysit me.”

“At the moment, the only thing I need to do is enjoy breakfast with the crew,” Lucas informed him. “You should join us.”

Sully narrowed his eyes. “You know I don’t do meals with the team.”

“They need to see that you’re better. They almost lost a part of their family, and it scared them,” Lucas pointed out.

“I thought Herrera is already back to full duty.”

“I wasn’t talking about Herrera,” Lucas said and left the room. He entered the kitchen area and found everyone at the table. They all looked at him expectantly, but he shook his head and began filling his plate. He had just sat down in the seat left next to Vic when the conversations around him stopped. Everybody looked behind him, so Lucas glanced over his shoulder. Sully stood in the doorway.

“Would you mind if I joined you this morning?” Sully asked.

Gibson shook his head and replied, “Not at all, Sir. Grab a plate and have a seat.”

The entire table looked to Lucas. He shook his own head and whispered, “Not yet.”

They picked up their conversation as if it never stopped. Lucas joined in but kept an eye on Sully. The Captain sat at one end of the table with Lucas and Warren on each side. Sully didn’t say anything, but at least he was in the same room as the others. And he was eating something more than a vending machine snack.

The alarm went off just as everyone was finishing up. Sully looked at Lucas as they all stood. “Are you joining us?”

Lucas nodded. “I’ll tag along, but you take command. I’m just an observer.”

Sully nodded. Lucas opted to ride in one of the trucks with Montgomery, Warren, and Herrera. Vic rode in the other truck with Gibson and Sully. He didn’t think much of it until they arrived on scene. Both Vic and Gibson got out of the truck looking uncomfortable. Sully kept his face blank. Lucas made a note to ask Vic what happened later on.

They took care of the scene – a two-vehicle crash with one on fire – in the way only 19 could do. Soon they were headed back to the station. Sully locked himself in his office to presumably write up the report. So Lucas went in search of the others. He found Vic, Montgomery, and Bishop watching TV and decided to join them. Bishop moved to a chair from the couch when she saw him. Lucas took her place next to Vic without a word.

The four of them were comfortably watching a show when Sully called out from the hallway, “Nineteen, line up!”

The three firefighters stood. Vic rolled her eyes at Lucas as she followed her teammates out of the room. Lucas turned the TV off before making his way to the bay. Sully was already doing his inspection by the time Lucas arrived. Then he gave out assignments for cleaning duty.

When they were dismissed, Herrera asked, “You going to help out today, Chief?”

The shocked look on Sully’s face would’ve been funny if it didn’t mean trouble. Before Sully could reprimand the Lieutenant, Lucas told her, “Not today. I have some paperwork to go over with Sullivan.”

“Awe, man. You know you’d rather help clean the trucks,” Montgomery pointed out.

Lucas chuckled. “Maybe next time.”

They all mumbled to each other as they left to start their chores. Sullivan led Lucas to the office. Lucas shut the door. He knew what was coming before Sully even faced him. The shock had faded from his eyes, replaced by anger mixed with bewilderment. Sully placed his hands on his hips. “What the hell have you done to my team?”

“I didn’t do anything to them,” Lucas answered.

“They clearly have no respect for you anymore. Did you pamper them over the last seven weeks?” Sully asked.

Lucas tried not to laugh. “No, I did not pamper them. I captained them.”

“Then why do they seem to be so…chummy with you?”

“Chummy?”

Sully explained, “This morning at breakfast, the way they included you in their conversations. Hughes and Gibson refused to answer any of my questions about you as a captain on the way to that first call. Then after that, I find you snuggled up watching a movie with three of them. And just now with Herrera and Montgomery asking you to help with chores-"

“They were joking.”

“Whatever. It was all borderline insubordination. If they don’t respect you, then they won’t respect me,” Sully finished.

Lucas paused a moment before responding, “Yes, I grew close to them over the last few weeks. And they might be a bit more comfortable with me than they used to be. Going out for drinks with them broke the tension that had been there between us.”

“You went out for drinks with them?”

“I did. Last week. It was to celebrate Herrera returning to work,” Lucas informed him. Then he added, “They might do the same for you if you’d let them in.”

Sully shook his head. “I don’t want to be their drinking buddy. You can have that position.”

“I’m not their drinking buddy,” Lucas corrected. “I’m just part of the family.”

“Part of the family. Just because you were interim captain while I was out.”

Lucas sucked in a deep breath to prepare himself. Then he tried to keep his voice casual as he said, “Actually, no. That’s not why.”

Sully’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Then why?”

“Because I’m dating one of them.”

There was no explosion at the confession. No shouting. Just silence. Lucas waited while Sully seemed to take in the implication of his words. When the Captain did finally speak, his voice was low. “Which one?”

“Hughes,” Lucas replied, still managing to keep his calm demeanor.

Sully squeezed the bridge of his nose. “How long?”

“About two months now.”

“Two months? So this started before the storm and the accident?”

“Yes,” Lucas said. “The others only found out a week ago.”

“All of them?” Sully asked. Lucas nodded. He wasn’t going to throw Gibson under the bus now that he wasn’t the only one who knew. Family didn’t do that.  
Lucas felt the need to explain, “We decided to tell them at the celebration. It was unfair of us to hide it from them while working together.”

“Unfair. To them. That’s what worried you two,” Sully repeated. “Did it ever occur to you how this so-called relationship could affect the department?”

“It’s all being taken care of as soon as I’m back in my office,” Lucas told him.

Sully let out a short sigh. His arms fell to his sides. He met Lucas’s eyes. “Is it real?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you actually care about her?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re going about this the right way? Besides ignoring the obvious subordination aspect,” Sully added.

“Yes.”

Sully went quiet again. Minutes passed before he said, “I don’t like this. It’s reckless and stupid. But you’re above me, so there isn’t much I can do about it.”

Lucas kept a gentle voice as he told him, “It would be nice to have your support. For both of us.”

Again Sully shook his head. “I can’t give you that. Not in this situation. But what you or any of them do in their own time is none of my business. As long as it doesn’t affect her job or yours, I’ll make myself be okay with it.”

“We’ll take that, then,” Lucas accepted. “I am sorry to put you in this position, Sully.”

Sully held up a hand for a second. “It’s not like you can choose who you fall in love with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy reading this more than I enjoyed writing it. I seriously need the show to come back. Counting down the days...


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vic and Lucas get married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several of you wanted more from this story, so I took an idea that madnephelite gave me and wrote an epilogue. I hope this gives everyone the closure that they needed.

*One Year Later*

Everything seemed to fall into place once the secret was out. Lucas and Vic had to endure interview after interview to prove to HR that he wasn’t taking advantage of his position as Fire Chief. By the last one, Vic had given up being diplomatic and bluntly told the representative exactly how the relationship started. It seemed to work because they were given approval within a week.

Lucas fit easily into the Station 19 family. By February, he convinced them to call him by his first name when not on duty. On the first warm weekend in March, the team -including Sullivan – helped move Vic into Lucas’s house. He threw a barbecue to repay them. They stayed late and drank beer and teased the couple about taking the next step. Vic wasn’t the only extra person to sleep in Lucas’s house that night.

In June while on a trip to New York City to visit her family, Lucas proposed. Travis actually punched Lucas for not letting him be there to watch. Vic made it up to Travis by asking him to stand beside her at the wedding. She couldn’t choose between Maya and Andy anyway. He gladly accepted.

The wedding was set for January fourth, the day after their anniversary as an official couple. They went with a winter wonderland theme. Vic’s dress was made of silk and had a sweetheart neckline. Lace covered the bodice as well as off-the-shoulder capped sleeves. Silver beads dotted the lace. She opted to let her hair fall in soft curls because that’s how Lucas liked it best. A small silver pin held one side out of her face.

Travis wore a pale blue suit with a matching tie and white shirt. Maya and Andy, her bridesmaids, wore floor length, light blue dresses with an A-line crew neckline. The straps crisscrossed over their backs, which were bare to the lower back. Lace and silver beads also covered the bodice of their gowns.

Lucas, per Vic’s request, wore his dress uniform. Sullivan stood in as best man with Lucas’s two brothers as groomsmen. All three of them wore white suits with light blue shirts to match Travis’s suit. They decided not to have a flower girl or ring barer since it was a small ceremony. They found a gorgeous building where they could have the ceremony and reception at the same location. Everything was decorated in light blue and silver.

The ceremony was beautiful. Vic had tears in her eyes the whole time. Lucas never stopped smiling at her. The kiss was more magical than they’d ever shared before. And then they walked back down the aisle together while their families cheered. The team had even pooled enough money and extra beds so that Vic’s entire family could be there. Lucas’s immediate family plus an aunt and uncle, two cousins, and their families were all that showed up for him. But he was fine with that. His first two weddings had been huge affairs. With this one, the only person he needed there was Vic.

Everybody moved to the ballroom for the reception. Lucas and Vic cut the cake. She enjoyed smashing a piece all over his face. He did, too, but enjoyed cleaning it off of her more. While they shared a passionate kiss that the cake smashing led to, Jack of course called out loud enough for everyone to hear, “There’s no turnout room in this building!”

Most of her team and their families laughed. Sullivan choked. Dean buried his head in his hands and groaned. Vic broke the kiss and called back, “No, but there are rooms with doors that lock.”

Lucas kissed her again. Maya and Andy let out catcalls along with Vic’s sister. Dean groaned again. Sullivan had a coughing fit. Then he stood, wiping his mouth with a snowflake shaped napkin. He cleared his throat and said, “On that note, I think it’s time to get the obligatory speeches out of the way.”

“Yes, please!” Travis stated.

Sullivan faced the newlyweds and began, “Years ago before I left Seattle, I remember a conversation Rip and I had about the happiness I’d found with my wife. He was already failing his second marriage by then.”

Several people laughed or murmured. Sullivan continued, “I came back to Seattle at the request of Rip to take over his favorite station. I didn’t understand what he liked about them so much until months later. I had the pleasure of witnessing him be a part of the family the team had built. I just didn’t know at first how he actually fit into that family.

“When he told me that he was seeing Vic, I thought he was making the biggest mistake of his life. I thought they both were. But I could see it in his eyes and the way he talked about her that he was already in love with her. I told him that day that you can’t help who you fall in love with, and it’s true. Vic, he’s more in love with you and happier with you than the first two Mrs. Ripley’s combined. Rip, I think you finally got it right. You found what I had. Cherish it.”

Sullivan lifted his glass in a toast, and everyone followed suit. Then he sat down, and Travis stood up. He waited for the applause to quieten down before starting, “My speech is not even close to being as profound. So thank you, Captain, for making me look bad today.”

“Anytime,” Sullivan replied with the barest hint of a smile.

Travis spoke to the room, “Vic started out as my rookie. She came to 19 right after me, and I felt it was my job to teach her everything she didn’t learn in the Academy. All of that training led to her becoming one of my best friends. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve always made it through.

“One thing anyone that knows Vic knows about her is that she is absolutely horrible at keeping secrets. Yet one evening while we’re all having drinks together, in walks Vic and Chief Ripley who so casually tell us they’d been seeing each other for nearly two months. I still don’t know how you managed to pull that off.

“I knew before I knew who it was keeping Vic all to himself, that what they had was special. She changed, in a completely positive way. Except for the secret keeping, of course. Vic, you kept the relationship secret for two months. You didn’t tell me he proposed. I’m surprised you didn’t elope and tell us you got married after the fact.”

Laughter erupted throughout the room. Vic and Lucas shared a secret smile before looking to Travis again. He finished, “So I didn’t get to share in all of that even though I’m your best friend. But you have to promise me, in front of all of these people, that I will be the first to know when there’s a baby on the way.”

“How about the third,” Vic negotiated.

“I better be the first one she tells,” Lucas added.

Travis sighed. “Okay, after you both know, I better be the next in line.”

Vic laughed and looked into Lucas’s eyes as she told Travis, “You’ll be waiting a while for that phone call. We’re still in the spice stage of this marriage.”


End file.
